Because the air dries out so much during the winter, causing problems in our homes due to low humidity, a lot of people wonder how beneficial it would be to install a whole-home humidifier.
No matter how you look at it, humidifiers are awesome for brutal winters and dry climates. However, a lot of people don’t know this, they are also useful during other seasons as well. Smaller (standard size) humidifiers are very affordable and you can find them anywhere. They work well mostly for single rooms or for small spaces. Whole-home humidifiers, however, are very beneficial for improving the overall Indoor Air Quality of an entire home. Because of this, they benefit not only you and your family members, but also your house itself.
To explore this further, we at Upper Arlington Heating & Cooling put together the following list of our Six Major Benefits of Whole-Home Humidifiers:
- Better Sleeping Conditions
When humidity levels are low and the air in our dwellings becomes excessively dry, it leads to unhealthy breathing conditions that can cause discomfort and illness. Moreover, it can make snoring and other sleeping problems worse and loud snoring tends to interrupt the sleep cycles of the person snoring and others. As a result, this can cause problems for everyone in the home. Finally, coughing from breathing problems caused by low levels of humidity can keep people from sleeping soundly as well, not to mention sore and dried-out throats, which aggravate coughs, leading to “hacking.” For these types of sleeping and breathing problems, whole-home humidifiers are helpful in facilitating better quality sleep.
- Helps You Move Into Flu Season
The human respiratory system is lined with membrane tissue that requires moisture for proper sinus function. Low levels of humidity, or dry air, extracts necessary moisture from this membrane tissue and irritates it. Usually, the result is a scratchy throat or sore throat with painful sinuses and other respiratory tract issues.
Because of this, when cold and flu season arrives, these conditions further irritate the membrane tissue, making what would normally be a common cold feel far more painful and intense. To make matters worse, some viruses are known to spread faster in dryer conditions and inflamed respiratory systems are more vulnerable to catching them. This can create a sort of double-edge sword that can lead to misery. Fortunately, whole-home humidifiers are usually an excellent solution.
- Preserving Furniture & Wood
Woodwork, molding, trim and wood furniture lasts a lot longer and looks better in homes where relative humidity levels are maintained within the recommended range of 30 to 50 percent. Experts say when levels are too low, the dry air pulls moisture not only out of the human body, but it also pulls it out of wood. When this happens, wooden furniture, tables, chairs, hardwood flooring, trim and cabinetry can sustain damage and crack, split and even warp. Doors and window frames are no exception either, and the resulting damage can affect their functioning. So in addition to your health and well-being, having a whole-home humidifier installed is good for your belongings and your actual home itself.
- Reduced Allergy Symptoms
Allergy symptoms usually arise when a person’s immune system overreacts to air conditions that are less than optimal. As the immune system combats airborne invaders and struggles with arid conditions, its mucous membranes start swelling in response and overproducing mucus. Runny noses, watery eyes and sneezing attacks are common symptoms. Moreover, hives or other irritation can arise on the skin, which leads to itching. If you’re experiencing any of these allergy symptoms and your indoor humidity levels are low or dry, a whole-home humidifier will help a great deal.
- Better Skin Health
If you’ve ever suffered from dermatitis or eczema, you know that dry, itchy skin is a major pain. Moreover, you know these conditions are amplified when the air is cold and dry. The good news is a whole-home humidifier will increase your home’s humidity levels to optimal range, allowing your skin to retain its natural moisture, which gives it its elasticity and leads to fewer wrinkles forming over time.
Dry air also makes oil-producing glands in your body hyperactive, which can cause a condition that can give rise to acne. Because the outdoor air is dryer during the wintertime, keeping your indoor air warm with appropriate levels of humidity is essential for healthy skin.
- Added Convenience
For single rooms or small spaces, the standard-sized humidifiers can be helpful. However, for the overall air quality of an entire house, whole-home humidifiers are far more advantageous and even more convenient. In order to sustain healthy relative indoor humidity levels throughout a home using the smaller humidifiers, you would have to run many of them at the same time at best. And this would become tedious, if at all successful, because you would need enough of them set up safely in the right places throughout the home and you would need to refill them constantly with water. This can be a hazard and a drain in electricity. As such, a whole-home humidifier would be far easier, and by far more convenient because this single device would be installed in your air duct system near your actual HVAC system. You would not need to refill it with water because it would be connected to your water supply directly. The humidity going into the home is pushed into the air ducts where it goes through your vents and into your home.
Call Us Today to Learn More!
Sustaining healthy levels of humidity in a home keeps everyone healthier, happier and far more comfortable. Because we care about the quality of the air in your home, we want you and your loved ones to live comfortably. If you’re interested in having a whole-home humidifier installed, please call Upper Arlington Heating & Cooling today at (614) 490-7507, or schedule an appointment now by clicking here!
